1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a probe shape detection apparatus and a probe shape detection method, and more particularly, to a probe shape detection apparatus and a probe shape detection method for detecting a shape of a probe using a magnetic field.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a probe such as an endoscope is inserted into a subject to perform an observation and treatment of a target region, it is possible to facilitate the insertion operation by concurrently using a detection apparatus capable of detecting the shape of the probe inserted in the subject. As such a detection apparatus, for example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 9-84745 is widely known.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 9-84745 discloses a technique that has a configuration in which a magnetic field detection element (sensing coil) can detect magnetic fields generated from a plurality of magnetic field generation elements (source coils) arranged in a probe and detects the shape of the probe based on an estimation result of estimating positions and orientations of the respective magnetic field generation elements so as to minimize a difference between a measured value of an actually produced voltage in the magnetic field detection element and an estimate value of a voltage estimated to be produced in the magnetic field detection element.
Furthermore, the aforementioned detection apparatus conventionally employs a technique of detecting the shape of a probe based on an estimation result of position information obtained through calculations using, for example, a Newton-Raphson method or multivariate analysis.